150 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [34] 



weeks. Menhaden do not make any stop here, but are frequently 

 seen making passages. Bluefish arrive about the middle of June, and, 

 like Kcup and weakfish, are a local fish at this season of the year. 

 There are some fish in the diiferent ponds on the island, and good 

 oysters are obtained if the entrance to the large pond is kept open. 

 About 350 men are engaged in the fisheries at this place." 



At 5 a. m. on the 9th instant we got under way and set course SE. ^ S. 

 We saw three small bunche** of fish near the island. Twelve miles on 

 this course we saw a school of small mackerel, and a short distance far- 

 ther on another school. I am certain that they were mackerel, for some 

 large fish were feeding upon them, causing them to jump entirely out 

 of the water so that they could be plainly seen with a glass. At 9 a. m. 

 changed course to E. by S. At 9.45 we saw another school of small 

 mackerel. Swordfish were seen at short intervals during the day ; I 

 counted 16 from the deck of the ship. The dinghy was lowered and we 

 tried for an hour to catch one, but, the conditions not being favorable, 

 did not succeed. The weather was very mild, with light breeze from 

 the eastward all day. At 2 p. m. we saw two schools of small mack- 

 erel 7 miles south of Nantucket Island, and at 3 o'clock, the ship run- 

 ning to the westward, saw another. Anchored just before sunset inside 

 Gay Head. I visited the shore, but could not obtain any information, 

 although the people here live principally by the occupation of fishing. 



At 6 a. m., on the 10th got under way and stood SW. f S. for 20 miles, 

 tlien NjSI W., and at 11 a. m. anchored in Newport Harbor. We did not 

 see fish of any kind on the passage; saw one menhaden steamer bound 

 to the southward. 



We left Wood's HoU at 1.40 p. m., on the 20th instant, in search of 

 mackerel in the regions about Nantucket, George's Bank, Cape Sable, 

 Grand Manan, &c. After passing Gay Head and No Man's Land, a 

 course was laid for South Shoal light-ship, but a fog came on before we 

 reached it, narrowing our vision so much that I concluded to lay to until 

 it lighted up. We saw no fish during the day. At 4.30. the following 

 morning the fog cleared away and we started for George's Bank. Pass- 

 ing to the northward of Cultivator Shoal we then ran through the 

 passage between it and George's. The fog came on again soon after we 

 cleared the passage, and not wishing to pass over any ground in this 

 vicinity without a thorough search, we stood off and on during the night 

 under low speed, and at daylight, the following morning, resumed onr 

 course around the bank in from 30 to 40 fathoms of water ; then ran 

 across to Cashes' Ledge; thence to Brown's Bank, where we arrived on 

 the morning of the 23d; ran over its entire length from north to south; 

 then stood for the coast of Nova Scotia, sighting Seal Island light dur- 

 ing the evening, and soon after crossing German Bank. The weather 

 was squally during the night, with j)assing showers, but cleared in the 

 morning. At 5.40 a. m., on the 24th, sighted Gannet Eock light at the 

 entrance to the Bay of Fundy, crossed the Grand Manan Bank, and 



